The Microwave Snow Grain Size: A New Concept to Predict Satellite Observations Over Snow-Covered Regions
International audience Satellite observations of snow-covered regions in the microwave range have the potential to retrieve essential climate variables such as snow height. This requires a precise understanding of how microwave scattering is linked to snow microstructural properties (density, grain...
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Online Access: | https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-03859272 https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-03859272/document https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-03859272/file/Picard-2022-The_microwave_snow_grain_size-%28published_version%29.pdf https://doi.org/10.1029/2021AV000630 |
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ftunivnantes:oai:HAL:insu-03859272v1 2023-05-15T13:42:17+02:00 The Microwave Snow Grain Size: A New Concept to Predict Satellite Observations Over Snow-Covered Regions Picard, G. Löwe, H. Domine, F. Arnaud, L. Larue, F. Favier, V. Le Meur, E. Lefebvre, E. Savarino, J. Royer, A. Institut des Géosciences de l’Environnement (IGE) Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP ) Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA) Takuvik Joint International Laboratory ULAVAL-CNRS Université Laval Québec (ULaval)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) 2022 https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-03859272 https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-03859272/document https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-03859272/file/Picard-2022-The_microwave_snow_grain_size-%28published_version%29.pdf https://doi.org/10.1029/2021AV000630 en eng HAL CCSD info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1029/2021AV000630 insu-03859272 https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-03859272 https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-03859272/document https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-03859272/file/Picard-2022-The_microwave_snow_grain_size-%28published_version%29.pdf BIBCODE: 2022AGUA.300630P doi:10.1029/2021AV000630 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/ info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess CC-BY-NC-ND ISSN: 2576-604X EISSN: 2576-604X AGU Advances https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-03859272 AGU Advances, 2022, 3, ⟨10.1029/2021AV000630⟩ snow remote sensing microwave porous media microstructure modeling [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics] [SDU.STU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences info:eu-repo/semantics/article Journal articles 2022 ftunivnantes https://doi.org/10.1029/2021AV000630 2023-03-01T01:18:21Z International audience Satellite observations of snow-covered regions in the microwave range have the potential to retrieve essential climate variables such as snow height. This requires a precise understanding of how microwave scattering is linked to snow microstructural properties (density, grain size, grain shape and arrangement). This link has so far relied on empirical adjustments of the theories, precluding the development of robust retrieval algorithms. Here we solve this problem by introducing a new microstructural parameter able to consistently predict scattering. This "microwave grain size" is demonstrated to be proportional to the measurable optical grain size and to a new factor describing the chord length dispersion in the microstructure, a geometrical property known as polydispersity. By assuming that the polydispersity depends on the snow grain type only, we retrieve its value for rounded and faceted grains by optimization of microwave satellite observations in 18 Antarctic sites, and for depth hoar in 86 Canadian sites using ground-based observations. The value for the convex grains (0.6) compares favorably to the polydispersity calculated from 3D micro-computed tomography images for alpine grains, while values for depth hoar show wider variations (1.2-1.9) and are larger in Canada than in the Alps. Nevertheless, using one value for each grain type, the microwave observations in Antarctica and in Canada can be simulated from in-situ measurements with good accuracy with a fully physical model. These findings improve snow scattering modeling, enabling future more accurate uses of satellite observations in snow hydrological and meteorological applications. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Université de Nantes: HAL-UNIV-NANTES Antarctic Canada AGU Advances 3 4 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Université de Nantes: HAL-UNIV-NANTES |
op_collection_id |
ftunivnantes |
language |
English |
topic |
snow remote sensing microwave porous media microstructure modeling [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics] [SDU.STU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences |
spellingShingle |
snow remote sensing microwave porous media microstructure modeling [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics] [SDU.STU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences Picard, G. Löwe, H. Domine, F. Arnaud, L. Larue, F. Favier, V. Le Meur, E. Lefebvre, E. Savarino, J. Royer, A. The Microwave Snow Grain Size: A New Concept to Predict Satellite Observations Over Snow-Covered Regions |
topic_facet |
snow remote sensing microwave porous media microstructure modeling [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics] [SDU.STU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences |
description |
International audience Satellite observations of snow-covered regions in the microwave range have the potential to retrieve essential climate variables such as snow height. This requires a precise understanding of how microwave scattering is linked to snow microstructural properties (density, grain size, grain shape and arrangement). This link has so far relied on empirical adjustments of the theories, precluding the development of robust retrieval algorithms. Here we solve this problem by introducing a new microstructural parameter able to consistently predict scattering. This "microwave grain size" is demonstrated to be proportional to the measurable optical grain size and to a new factor describing the chord length dispersion in the microstructure, a geometrical property known as polydispersity. By assuming that the polydispersity depends on the snow grain type only, we retrieve its value for rounded and faceted grains by optimization of microwave satellite observations in 18 Antarctic sites, and for depth hoar in 86 Canadian sites using ground-based observations. The value for the convex grains (0.6) compares favorably to the polydispersity calculated from 3D micro-computed tomography images for alpine grains, while values for depth hoar show wider variations (1.2-1.9) and are larger in Canada than in the Alps. Nevertheless, using one value for each grain type, the microwave observations in Antarctica and in Canada can be simulated from in-situ measurements with good accuracy with a fully physical model. These findings improve snow scattering modeling, enabling future more accurate uses of satellite observations in snow hydrological and meteorological applications. |
author2 |
Institut des Géosciences de l’Environnement (IGE) Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP ) Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA) Takuvik Joint International Laboratory ULAVAL-CNRS Université Laval Québec (ULaval)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Picard, G. Löwe, H. Domine, F. Arnaud, L. Larue, F. Favier, V. Le Meur, E. Lefebvre, E. Savarino, J. Royer, A. |
author_facet |
Picard, G. Löwe, H. Domine, F. Arnaud, L. Larue, F. Favier, V. Le Meur, E. Lefebvre, E. Savarino, J. Royer, A. |
author_sort |
Picard, G. |
title |
The Microwave Snow Grain Size: A New Concept to Predict Satellite Observations Over Snow-Covered Regions |
title_short |
The Microwave Snow Grain Size: A New Concept to Predict Satellite Observations Over Snow-Covered Regions |
title_full |
The Microwave Snow Grain Size: A New Concept to Predict Satellite Observations Over Snow-Covered Regions |
title_fullStr |
The Microwave Snow Grain Size: A New Concept to Predict Satellite Observations Over Snow-Covered Regions |
title_full_unstemmed |
The Microwave Snow Grain Size: A New Concept to Predict Satellite Observations Over Snow-Covered Regions |
title_sort |
microwave snow grain size: a new concept to predict satellite observations over snow-covered regions |
publisher |
HAL CCSD |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-03859272 https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-03859272/document https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-03859272/file/Picard-2022-The_microwave_snow_grain_size-%28published_version%29.pdf https://doi.org/10.1029/2021AV000630 |
geographic |
Antarctic Canada |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Canada |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica |
op_source |
ISSN: 2576-604X EISSN: 2576-604X AGU Advances https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-03859272 AGU Advances, 2022, 3, ⟨10.1029/2021AV000630⟩ |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1029/2021AV000630 insu-03859272 https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-03859272 https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-03859272/document https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-03859272/file/Picard-2022-The_microwave_snow_grain_size-%28published_version%29.pdf BIBCODE: 2022AGUA.300630P doi:10.1029/2021AV000630 |
op_rights |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/ info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY-NC-ND |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2021AV000630 |
container_title |
AGU Advances |
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3 |
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4 |
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